Would You Replace a Coal Furnace With a Basement Stove?

The only difference between what you have and what you want is some sheet metal and ducting.

Such a smart man.

I keep 4 disparate areas heated about 15000 sq ft on a farm. No hydronics just coal stoves. I would not have it any other way. It's not really that much extra work. Much cheaper and I get to play with base heaters which is my thing. However, Hitzer and DS make fine stoves too. There are many flavors of coal heating and not any one them is necessarily "right".

I'd be seriously looking at closing up / insulating the house. Insulation has a fairly quick pay back when doing it yourself.

I totally agree with utilizing the existing warm air ducting as a cold air return to the basement stove. Just add some extension ducting to complete the system at the plenum, but make a bypass so it can still be used conventionally. Adjust floor registers per room until you are satisfied with the amount of heat. What controls do you have on the Hitzer? Have you banked your fire? How much is too much when you say the Hitzer is overkill, but it doesn't put out that much heat in your opinion.

Just to follow up on hooking up cold air ducting from your stove to the warm air ducting in your house...I have already done this and you will be S-O-O-O surprised with the results. The old style of 'Octopus" heating used the principle of gravity and convection to warm the homes. This was displaced by the advent of electricity in homes at which time the electric fan turned the system into forced air.
But, the old school method was to have the warm air ducts in the center of the home, as well as the furnace(in the basement) to ensure the heating ducts were as short as possible(trying to keep them no longer than 16 feet). No moving parts involved. This did not work in slab homes. Anyway, the cold air returns were most often on the outside walls because of the flood of cold air through windows and doors. With the furnace in the basement and the cold air return jacket around, it would heat the cold from the return (heavier)air making it lighter and push it up to the rooms above. The warm air would cool and fall, then cycle begins again. A nice exchange of air throughout the house.
I use this principle everyday and my house stays at a constant 74*F day and night, right now. My room temperatures varies only slightly and the floors are warm. As with outside temp, inside temp might vary daily, but your hourly fluctuation should be greatly diminished using the gravity warm air system. Once the inside temp is balanced for the day, it should stay there with a full load of coal in the stove, banked and set for the night.
You might find yourself selling one of your coal stoves, if you hook up to the gravity warm air system.

coalnewbie wrote:

The only difference between what you have and what you want is some sheet metal and ducting.

Such a smart man.

I keep 4 disparate areas heated about 15000 sq ft on a farm. No hydronics just coal stoves. I would not have it any other way. It's not really that much extra work. Much cheaper and I get to play with base heaters which is my thing. However, Hitzer and DS make fine stoves too. There are many flavors of coal heating and not any one them is necessarily "right".

Iv always Pondered what you heat and how much coal you go thru With the list of stoves in your profile. Is the 15,000sq ft on big house our do you have different buildings to take care of?

oliver power wrote:I'd be seriously looking at closing up / insulating the house. Insulation has a fairly quick pay back when doing it yourself.

We are working on that. Been here 3 years and upgrading the house as we can afford it. New roof, then we put new windows in this year. Hoping to do insulation maybe next year. The windows have made a difference already. I'm considering attic insulation first since I can do that easily myself and the bedroom ceilings are a major heat sink.

Badger Freezer wrote:Just to follow up on hooking up cold air ducting from your stove to the warm air ducting in your house...I have already done this and you will be S-O-O-O surprised with the results. But, the old school method was to have the warm air ducts in the center of the home, as well as the furnace(in the basement) to ensure the heating ducts were as short as possible(trying to keep them no longer than 16 feet). No moving parts involved. This did not work in slab homes. Anyway, the cold air returns were most often on the outside walls because of the flood of cold air through windows and doors...You might find yourself selling one of your coal stoves, if you hook up to the gravity warm air system.

Yes, this is basically what I had in mind. My forced air ducts are on the outside walls, so I was thinking reverse the flow to turn them into returns. Then basically use the basement stairway which comes up into the kitchen as the supply. The kitchen and attached bathroom are the rooms that need the extra heat anyway.

select the (formerly) warm air duct closest to your basement stove. Open that duct, between the plenum and the register at the point nearest to your stove. Do not use any other duct. The cold air will filter from the upstairs into the (formerly) warm supply registers and go directly to the cold air intake of your stove. Doing this will pull the cold air from the other rooms in the house, at the (formerly) warm air registers. If you have a cold air supply/intake air on your basement stove that has an attachment, hook up at that point; or if it's an open bottom jacketed stove just direct the new cold intake to the bottom of the stove. I made my first experimental piece from cardboard and when I realized how well it worked I made one from galvanized. no circulating fan needed for this part. You might use one for the heated air, to get it upstairs. Don't use full speed on a circulating fan for warm air. The warm air cools too quickly to be effective; except in the immediate area of the heat source. If you have ceiling fans turn them on.
You will be extremely happy with the very even heat and little to no cold spots or drafts, once you hook up the return duct. And only use the one duct.

Badger Freezer wrote:select the (formerly) warm air duct closest to your basement stove. Open that duct, between the plenum and the register at the point nearest to your stove. Do not use any other duct. The cold air will filter from the upstairs into the (formerly) warm supply registers and go directly to the cold air intake of your stove. Doing this will pull the cold air from the other rooms in the house, at the (formerly) warm air registers. If you have a cold air supply/intake air on your basement stove that has an attachment, hook up at that point; or if it's an open bottom jacketed stove just direct the new cold intake to the bottom of the stove. I made my first experimental piece from cardboard and when I realized how well it worked I made one from galvanized. no circulating fan needed for this part. You might use one for the heated air, to get it upstairs. Don't use full speed on a circulating fan for warm air. The warm air cools too quickly to be effective; except in the immediate area of the heat source. If you have ceiling fans turn them on.
You will be extremely happy with the very even heat and little to no cold spots or drafts, once you hook up the return duct. And only use the one duct.

best advise you'll get.